


twelve days of crushing on donghyuck

by dyintherain



Category: NCT (Band)
Genre: Aged-Up Red Velvet except for Yeri, Alternate Universe - Neighbors, Christmas Fluff, Family Fluff, M/M, Mistletoe, bear with me, is not just for romantic kisses
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-09
Updated: 2020-12-09
Packaged: 2021-03-10 00:53:35
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,506
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27975426
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/dyintherain/pseuds/dyintherain
Summary: A new neighbor, a family reunion, and a mistletoe.
Relationships: Lee Donghyuck | Haechan/Mark Lee
Comments: 6
Kudos: 102





	twelve days of crushing on donghyuck

**Author's Note:**

> written for 23 days of wonder ♡ day 1: mistletoe

🌨️🌨️🌨️

The first day that Mark catches a glimpse of the boy with the shining eyes, a radiant face framed by soft honey curls, against the backdrop of early morning sunshine outside their apartment building, he already knows he's got an itty bitty crush.

By the third day, he has managed to learn three things about that boy:

  1. His name is Donghyuck;
  2. He's the new tenant in 4B, a few doors away from Mark's own unit; and
  3. The winter sun seems to shine a little brighter whenever he's around.



The first two, courtesy of his roommate Jeno. If it wasn't for him, Mark honestly thinks he would have never let his little crush see the light of day. 

He's new to the city himself, having moved here for college a few months ago. His current priority is just getting through his first semester in one piece—a relationship so far down his list at this time. Of course, this doesn't mean he doesn't allow himself to indulge every now and then.

"Mark Lee's got a cru- _uush_ ," Jeno sing-songs as soon as they get back to their unit from the building’s laundry room downstairs.

"Dude," Mark hissed. "I don't—"

" _Please_ , your eye was on him the whole time, you almost slammed the dryer door on your hand."

Mark winces. Well, that's true. He pads toward his room and sets down his basket of fresh clothes. He's always hated doing the laundry, but maybe now that he's sharing a common laundry room with a cute boy, it wouldn't be so bad. He mentally takes note of the day and time (Saturday, mid-afternoon) just in case the boy does his on a fixed weekly schedule.

"Yeah, okay," Mark admits as he comes back to their tiny living area. Jeno snickers.

"I've never seen him before though," Mark says.

"He's new, just moved to 4B… five days ago, I think? His name's Donghyuck."

Mark raises an eyebrow at his roommate. "How do you already know all that?"

"I brought him some cookies his first day in the building," Jeno shrugs. "He's really nice. Single too," he adds with a sly smirk in Mark's direction.

Mark just laughs. "Stop trying to couple me up with every guy you come across."

"Jaem and I just want a couple friend to do couple stuff with." Jeno pouts at him.

Mark shakes his head, "You gotta look for that somewhere else."

🌨️🌨️🌨️

On the fifth day, Mark's inside the elevator that's about to slide shut when he hears a loud " _Waaait_!" echo across the hallway. He scrambles to hold the door open just as a panting figure comes into view.

"Phew, thanks!" Donghyuck offers him a bright smile as he steps in.

The elevator starts to close again, and Mark tries hard to avoid looking at his own blushing reflection on the steel doors.

🌨️🌨️🌨️

The eighth day comes, and Mark is back in the laundry room to wash his measly collection of five t-shirts and one sweatpant.

Donghyuck is already bent down on one of the machines when he comes in. Mark sets down his basket on a table at the opposite side of the room and looks at his neighbor from out of the corner of his eye. His hand almost gets caught in the machine door again as Donghyuck suddenly turns around and stares at him.

"Oh, hey!" Donghyuck calls.

Mark waves, mumbling a "hi". (God, why did he wave though?)

"You're 4E, right?"

Mark nods. "And you're 4B?"

"Yeah."

Mark mentally grimaces at his attempt at small talk. He's about to open his mouth to try again, but Donghyuck suddenly hefts his laundry basket to his waist and turns to him, "Well, I'll go ahead."

"Oh? You're done?"

A slight quirk tugs at Donghyuck’s lips. “Yeah, why?”

“Uh, n-nothing,” Mark stammers out. Donghyuck chuckles and waves a hand as he leaves the room.

 _Okay,_ Mark notes to himself. _Earlier next time._

🌨️🌨️🌨️

"Just ask him out," Jeno says to him on the tenth day as Mark stares dazedly at their door, where Donghyuck had just come through a few minutes ago. Now he's down the hall and in their shower—the faint sound of running water giving Mark goosebumps.

"He's so pretty," Mark mutters.

"You are so whipped," Jeno says with a laugh. "The guy rushes in here looking all disheveled with drool still on his chin and all you can say is he's so pretty?"

Mark was awakened earlier this morning with insistent knocking on their door, and when he opened it up, the sight of Donghyuck’s wayward curls and starry eyes almost made him think he was still asleep and dreaming.

 _“Do you guys have water?”_ Donghyuck had asked him in a panic. Mark had barely managed to say _“Uh, I think so?”_ before Donghyuck was pushing his way inside. _“Thank god! Please let me use your shower, I’ve got a very, very important appointment.”_ Mark had blinked and just sleepily pointed to his right. “ _S-sure_ , _that way._ ” Donghyuck hurried towards the direction, muttering _“Fuck, I am so late!”_ along the way. Mark thought it was very cute.

“What’s stopping you?” Jeno asks him as they eat their breakfast together on their tiny kitchen island.

“I don’t know,” Mark shrugs. “Like, I have to go home to Canada soon?”

“ _Just for the holidays_ ,” Jeno replies. He suddenly points a finger at Mark, “Oh! I know, why don’t you ask him to come with you to that Christmas party thing you have next week?”

Mark scoffs. “It’s the day after tomorrow and it’s not just a Christmas party. It’s a family reunion. I’m not taking him to _that_ for a first date.”

Jeno smiles wide at him. “So you’re finally considering it?”

Before Mark can answer, their bathroom door from down the hall squeaks open, and out comes Donghyuck, fully dressed and hair dripping wet.

The two roommates just stare at him as he scurries toward their front door. Donghyuck’s hand is on the doorknob when he pauses, seeming to remember something, then turns around and looks at them. “Thanks, Mark!”

Jeno pouts as soon as the door clicks shut. “Hey, I live here, too!”

🌨️🌨️🌨️

Mark wakes up on the eleventh day with a quiet resolve to ask Donghyuck out. What the hell, right? Something lowkey, maybe just for a cup of coffee in the cafe down the block? He can do that.

He hangs out in the building’s common area in the ground floor for most of the day, finishing up the last of his papers and requirements, looking up every now and then whenever the front door is thrown open and a cold gust of wind blows in—but he never catches Donghyuck.

 _Sigh_ , so much for that resolve.

🌨️🌨️🌨️

Mark’s family reunion slash Christmas party happens on the twelfth day. It’s in his Aunt Irene’s house—more of a mansion, really—just outside the city. The entire first floor of the big house is filled to brim with all sorts of Christmas decorations and Mark’s relatives—some he can barely recognize. His mom moved him to Canada when Mark was only eight, and it’s only now, ten years later, that he’s seeing most of his extended family again. He definitely doesn’t remember having this many cousins.

Mark himself is just sitting quietly on one corner, happily drinking his cider, when a figure catches his eyes from across the room. The boy has his back turned on him, but Mark’s heart skips a beat when he sees the mess of warm honey curls on his head. _God_ , he really _is_ whipped, getting reminded of Donghyuck even in this crowd of his relatives.

But then—the boy turns around slightly and _shit_ , is that actually Donghyuck?

Donghyuck… his neighbor and his crush… in _Mark’s_ family reunion. Oh god, are they…?

“Markie!” A loud squeal interrupts his thoughts. Before he can turn to see where the sound came from, Mark is almost thrown off his seat with a bone-crushing hug from… “Aunt Irene!”

“Oh my gosh, look how you’ve grown!” Irene coos at him, pinching his cheeks. “You are still _so_ cute! Are you really in college now?”

Mark laughs awkwardly and rubs the back of his neck. “Yeah…”

Irene suddenly gasps as she looks at something above them. Mark follows the stare and sees a mistletoe hanging on the ceiling right over his head. Irene looks back down at him with a playful smile, then attacks Mark’s cheek with a huge kiss. “Aunt Irene!” Mark groans, but she just giggles and pats his cheeks after. “Get that kiss to your mom when you’re back in Canada, okay?” she says, then turns to face the rest of the party again.

Mark is wiping down his cheek when a figure plops down on the seat in front of him.

“Hey, neighbor.”

Mark straightens up in his seat. “H-hey, Donghyuck.” Donghyuck smiles at him, and Mark can only stare awkwardly, his mind trying to place which of his many aunts and uncles Donghyuck could be a son to. He inwardly shivers at the thought— _god_ , of all people to have a crush on? Yikes.

“I didn’t know you’d be here,” Donghyuck says.

“Me too,” Mark mutters. “I mean, I didn’t know you…” he trails off. Oh gosh, is that why Hyuck’s nice to him? Because he knows they’re related, somehow? _Yikes again_.

Suddenly, a voice speaks out from behind Mark. “Hyuck, I told you not to harass my relatives.” The owner of the voice comes into view as he takes a seat beside Donghyuck and in front of Mark. Mark’s face breaks out into a huge smile as he sees who it is. “Injunnie!”

Donghyuck smirks. “ _Injunnie?"_

His cousin half-glares at him. “You’ve been in Canada for the last ten years so I’m going to let that pass, but everyone just calls me Renjun now,” he huffs. “And I see you’ve already met my best friend.”

Mark’s eyes widen, looking at Donghyuck. “Oh wait, so you’re not…?”

“What?” Donghyuck asks him.

“You’re not… my cousin?”

Donghyuck jerks back from him. “What? Ew, no!”

Renjun raises an eyebrow. “Excuse _me?_ We’re a very fine family—” he suddenly pauses as he turns to Donghyuck with a smirk. “Oh my god, is Mark… is Mark the cute neighbor you can’t shut up about?”

“Renjun!” Donghyuck gasps dramatically, a hand on his chest, but when he turns back to look at Mark, he doesn’t look the tiniest bit embarrassed. “Yeah, that’s Mark.”

Mark coughs. He can feel the tips of his ears already turning pink, but he’s saved by another loud squeal from his right. “My dear Markie! It really _is_ you!” Out of the corner of his eye, Mark sees Renjun smirk at the nickname. 

“Oh, Injunnie too!” 

Mark chuckles.

“Aunt Joy,” he and Renjun mutter at the same time.

“Ooh, my cute little nephews. You both look so grown up, I think I’m gonna cry!”

 _Cute_ , Mark sees Donghyuck mouth to him. He scrunches his nose, willing his cheeks not to blush.

“And look at that!” their Aunt Joy points a finger to what Mark can only guess. “Mistletoeee,” she singsongs then bends down to kiss him and Renjun on their cheeks. “ _Mwah!”_ He and Renjun surreptitiously wipe it down. Mark’s palm comes away red from the lipstick.

(Mark really needs to move to another spot now.)

“Seulgi! Yeri! Come over here!” Joy calls over her shoulder.

There’s a loud gasp, then Seulgi’s “Injunnie! Minhyung!”

“It’s really just Mark now,” Mark mutters under his breath at the same time that Renjun says, “I told you guys to call me Renjun!” Donghyuck laughs at the two cousins.

Joy points to the mistletoe hanging above them to Seulgi.

“Ooh,” Seulgi’s eyes sparkles. “Come on, give your auntie a kiss!” Mark and Renjun half-heartedly rise from their seats and give a quick peck on Seulgi’s either cheeks.

Seulgi grasps Mark on both shoulders. “You’re so much taller than me now!”

Joy pouts. “I know, right? Wendy has kept him from us for so long.”

Yeri just stands off to the side, looking at them amusedly.

Renjun smirks at her, “Hey, _Aunt_ Yeri.” Yeri rolls her eyes. “Shut up, I’m just the same age as you.”

“Yeah, but you’re still our _auntie_.”

Joy and Seulgi laugh, then hug Yeri from both sides and kiss her cheeks, too.

“Agh,” Yeri whines, trying to get away. “Go pester your nieces instead!”

Everyone laughs as Yeri runs off, Joy and Seulgi trying to catch her.

“God, I’ve missed them,” Mark says, shaking his head fondly.

“Trust me, that will get annoying pretty soon,” Renjun remarks, but he’s also smiling a little.

“Renjun, remember that one time when I said I wanted to marry into your family?” Donghyuck interjects.

Heat rises to Mark’s cheeks as Renjun laughs. “Careful, Mark’s going to overheat.”

“ _Shut up._ ”

Donghyuck just smirks at him.

🌨️🌨️🌨️

As the party wraps up, Mark finds himself looking around and trying to find Donghyuck, who was dragged away by Renjun earlier to mingle with their other relatives.

“Looking for me?”

Mark sharply turns around and catches his breath at the sight of Donghyuck, cheeks all rosy from something more than cider and bright Christmas lights reflected in his eyes.

“Uh, yeah,” Mark admits. “I was going to say goodbye to you and Renjun.”

“Well, I was looking for you to ask if you wanna ride home together,” Donghyuck says.

“Oh,” Mark says, then clears his throat. “ _Oh_ , but you drove with Renjun right? And I don’t have a car.”

“Then we’ll commute, and Renjun already left anyway.”

Just then, Mark’s eyes stray to behind Donghyuck, where he can see Renjun, who is very much still here, walking towards them.

“Hey, I’ll go ahead now,” Renjun says when he reaches their spot. “Take care of this doofus,” he says to Mark, patting Donghyuck’s shoulder. Then he turns, pointing a finger at Donghyuck, “And _you_ , don’t corrupt my cousin.”

Mark chokes on his breath.

Renjun leaves with a wave of his hand. Mark looks at Donghyuck with a slight quirk on his lips.

“Like I said,” Donghyuck shrugs, smiling, “Renjun already left.”

🌨️🌨️🌨️

Mark walks Donghyuck to his door—it’s on his way to his _own,_ but still.

Donghyuck turns to him. “Look what I stole,” he says suddenly, pulling something out from his bag.

“Is that… Aunt Irene’s _mistletoe?”_ Mark asks with eyes wide.

Donghyuck laughs at him. “God, your face. I’m kidding! I asked her for it.”

Mark’s brows furrow. “Why?”

Donghyuck turns his knob and pushes his door open, but doesn’t get inside. Instead, he stands on his tiptoes and hangs the mistletoe on his doorway. He drops back down, then faces Mark with a slight raise of his shoulders. 

“I thought it would look good on my doorway.”

Donghyuck gives him a sly smile. “Speaking of, you wanna come in?”

**Author's Note:**

> thank u for reading! let me know what you think :>
> 
> [moodboard](https://twitter.com/softfordoyu/status/1352859288570449920?s=21)


End file.
